Pre-Video Assignment, Seidel

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5DbQW64FJRs

I thought this was a poor example of a multimedia project. I understood what they were going for with this video, but a lot of the editing seemed forced. To start, I thought splitting the screen with half of it containing someone's face stuck in a weird position in a grayed-out color scheme seemed odd. I also thought the camera angles for the interviews from the 01:23-01:39 looked strange given the previous shots.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=686IRxfjzT0

In my opinion, this is an example of a good multimedia project. The video uses a combination of many different multimedia tools including video, still photography, firsthand witness accounts (via cellphone cameras) and audio clips from police scanners. Contrary to the previous example, the different camera angles, specifically from the cellphone cameras, played into its emotional appeal. This project also uses a Google Earth type of display to show the area. At first, the viewer gets an overall shot, then the camera zooms in and moves along the route of the attack, following in sync with the narration. The use of visuals such as the lines marking where things such as the crash happened were helpful. In this video, the use of the split screen makes sense. On one half of the screen, the viewer sees a firsthand account of what happened, while on the other half of the screen the viewer gets an overview shot of that specific area.

Pre-Video Assignment, Divers

http://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2017/10/30/the-wonder-list-new-zealand-1.cnn (Good video)

The package has great shots and there is a variety of shots. The audio is very clear and concise and opening with some music really adds to the package as a whole. Also, I like how his audio lines up very clearly with video that connects to what he is saying. The interview is very causal and the fact that they are walking adds to the overall look of the package because it's very comfortable to watch and the camera moves with them so it appears that you are right there with them. The action shots are also superb. It is hard to capture video that follows someone skiing or setting up the perfect shot to catch them doing a flip. Overall I learned new information and was drawn in by the visuals.

http://fox4kc.com/2017/11/02/man-found-inside-car-shot-in-head-in-kansas-city/ (Bad video)

This package is very basic and gets to the point. It opens with the reporter on screen giving us updates on the situation and then the camera zooms in on the car where the man was shot in the head. There is not a variety of shots though and I started losing interest halfway through because I was looking at the same video. The reporter could have changed up the shots. Also, the audio was fuzzy at times so that needs to be improved upon.

Pre-Video Assignment, Condon

Good Video Example

This video makes use of many different environments — from bars to bowling — and naturally-occurring candid conversationsto tell a vibrant and newsworthy narrative about factory workers whose plant relocated to Mexico. The audio and video are high-quality, and the reporter makes a hot-button issue personal by telling the story of a dispute between two friends. This video is a great example of multimedia storytelling.

Bad Video Example

This video from a much more local outlet, the Carroll County Times of Maryland. The video is lower quality and the audio is filled with background noise, which seems a misguided attempt to include natural sound. Only one source is quoted, and none of the children actually doing the project are interviewed, even though they're pictured on camera. The source's quotes aren't even particularly colorful.

Pre-Video Assignment, Lee

Bad Video Example

I would categorize this video as a bad video example mainly because of the audio and picture quality. The title sequence was strange in that it was moving in and out at a weird angle. The audio is very hard to decipher due to the subject not being mic'd as well as the background noise. The creator chose only one position to shoot from, randomly zooming in and out of that position which made for a visually boring piece. The quality of the footage is also lacking in clarity. So much so, that it distracts from the content of the video, which was difficult for me to glean from this video.

Good Video Example

I would categorize this video as a very well made video. It is visually stunning and exciting. The choice of having none of the interviews on camera and using video of people all over the world and short snapshot video footage of each person interviewed was so interesting and made the video constantly moving and compelling. The title of the video: "One nation under the sun", also adds to the message of this video. Although the video was clearly about the eclipse the angle that NPR points to was that everyone, people from all walks; states, races, jobs, and religions, came together to witness and marvel at this natural phenomenon. The editing of all these stories really made this video stand out. They took what could've been a straight shooter video about the eclipse turned into a heart-strings-pulling, incredibly compelling human interest piece.

Pre-video Assignment, Singh

Good video: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/entertainment/how-to-adult-how-to-have-a-good-nights-sleep/2017/10/31/117da77e-be67-11e7-9294-705f80164f6e_video.html?utm_term=.e38b9f9c400b
This is an example of a good video because all the sounds are in balance and the video content is relevant to the topic of the video. The narrator does a good job of maintaining a good pace for the script and isn't overpowered by the background music. Although none of the video is filmed by the person making the video, all the shots pertain to the topic of why people should get a good night's rest and flow well through good transitions and clean editing.



Bad video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5SwpbkTT6w
Although the content and interviews as well taken, I thought the audio and background sounds competed with each other too much. The narration wasn't loud enough throughout the video and got lost in the background sounds. I also thought the video quality could have been better, as it is kind of grainy. I also thought the interview with the main army man should have been taken from a higher angle to make it seem like the viewer is actually talking with him and not looking up at him.

Pre-Video Assignment, Gershkovich

Good Video: https://www.nytimes.com/video/style/100000005281179/herve-pierre-melania-trump-designer.html?playlistId=100000003089567&action=click&contentCollection=channels&contentPlacement=3®ion=video-grid&version=video-grid-thumbnail&module=video-nav&pgType=Multimedia&eventName=video-nav-click 

This video is titled "Meet the Man Who Dresses Melania Trump" and is narrated by Herve Pierre, the fashion designer himself, and compiled by the New York Times. I like this video because the music and visuals work nicely with the information being presented. I also think it gives viewers a thorough insight into the life of Pierre. Being a designer, Pierre's role is usually one that is "behind the scenes," and this clip makes Pierre's career the center of attention. I also like that text is used to compliment Pierre's comments (which are witty and entertaining) rather than the voice of a journalist or narrator. This allows the video to have a nice flow and doesn't cause unnecessary interruption. 

Another Good Video: |https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzAS41cpL_Q&t=187s 

I am not sure if this counts as a multi-media project, but this is a video from my friend's wedding which I think is excellent and I wanted to share it. My friend is Jewish, and she got married in Israel this past summer. I feel that the music in this video works very well with the visuals, which are beautiful. The way the story is told causes viewers to instantly feel connected. While watching this, I really felt like I was part of the scene. I like that the video and music tell the story here rather than the voice of a narrator. 

Bad Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEcD6bUur-c This multimedia project is about sports. Based on the video description, it seems as though the creator of the video wanted this video to focus on the health benefits of sports, though I do not feel this was accomplished at all. Additionally, all of the video used is blurry/shaky/out of focus, and whenever text is used, it is extremely difficult to read due to it bouncing around.

Pre-Video Assignment, Perry

Good video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFWw5qISKjc

This video is very engaging. It includes very good visuals and music that puts the viewer at the scene.
The narration isn't boring and you can tell that he is interested and passionate about the topic. He also describes the food very well, it's almost like you can taste it. Even though it was a long video it was interesting to watch the whole thing.

Bad video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPR6tWcmnNY

Though I liked the perspective of the video, I believe that the transitions between scenes could have been better. I thought the the music was too loud and abrupt and kind of random. Parts of it also seemed staged and instead of having a natural flow.

Pre-Video Assignment, Senay

Good Multi-Media Project:
The Hidden World of Vivian Maier
(privacy issues prevent embedding into the page, so the link is below)
https://vimeo.com/36035557

This is a good multi-media project because the narrator begins the story with a vague yet personal anecdote that connects himself to the subject of the story. He then introduces himself and describes how he grew up and why he is connected with Vivian Maier. The visuals are accurate to each part of the narrative as it progresses. With black and white photographs, the soundtrack fits the feeling of the mid-1900s era snapshots. The narrator brings on a renowned photographer to qualify Maier's work and way of life. Sound quality is on point as well.

Bad Multi-Media Project:
Super Uber projects


I am not a fan of this project because the visuals are scattered. Although thematic to what the purpose of this convention is (cultural education), there is no script to describe what each station is or what the mission of Super Uber is. The music comes off as slightly aggravating as it persists for the entire five minutes of the project. Camera work could be better as well although the videographer does vary between wide, medium and close shots.

Pre-video Assignment, Goodman

Good example:

http://findingsanctuary.nyc/home.html 

This project is from NYU and is very visually appealing and offers a variety of multimedia techniques. I liked how typed words were incorporated into the video for emphasis. The project flowed nicely and the images really captured a specific tone.


 Not so good example:

http://bronxink.org/parkash/ 

While the story itself was interesting, the limited views of the video was not very visually pleasing. The voice-over was very descriptive, but the film lacked creativity.

Pre-Video Assignment, Blum

Good Multimedia Project:

• https://vimeo.com/166280450

I thought this video multi-media project was really well put together. The background music in the beginning, the sounds of the broadcasters, the cut-away shots of play on the baseball field and the players in the dugout was really well incorporated in setting the tone for the rest of the video. Also, the natural sound of the ball making contact with the wooden bat in the beginning was a nice touch. I liked how the producer of the video took a few videos of the subject, Landon Holifield, pitching and weaved it in nicely with the interviews with Holifield to really drive home the story. I thought Holifield was a very interesting person, which allowed the videos of him and the team playing to really enhance the quality of the project overall. There was no shaky video and the producer did not pan around the room at all, which was good. The producer utilized different angles, especially for the interview portion of the video, making this a good multi-media project as a result.

Bad Multi-Media Project:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=572BA35JsGE&t=111s

I did not think this video multi-media project was well put together. The beginning of the video starts off really slow and the first video shot is very shaky. Also, the producer of the video added too many effects to the transitions between scenes, which was distracting. There were also delays in most of the video, which was not good. It was hard to understand the purpose of this project, so I was confused what was going on throughout the entire video. The music choice varied, which meant the tone of the video was inconsistent and did not really work with the content of the video. In addition, some of the video quality was also blurry. Overall, the weird choice of music, the bad video quality, too many video transition affects made this a a bad multi-project as a result.

Pre-Video Assignment, Spitalniak

Pre-Video Assignment

Laura Spitalniak

"Good"

Not only is this a compelling story, the visuals are just as interesting. They used a combination of current video and photographs from the subject's youth. It's a little text/graphics heavy but I didn't feel it took anything away from the story.

"Bad"

While I love the VlogBrothers channel on YouTube, their videos are not that great technically. A large majority of what they shoot is stationary, in an office or at a desk. They attempt to make it interesting with visuals and little jumps, but the single shot can become dull quickly.

Pre-video Assignment, Jung

Good Example:



Bad example:

Pre-Video Assignment, Catapano

Good Example:


Bad Example:

Pre-video assignment, Kean

Bad example: Good example:

Harvesting Guitars from the Bones of New York City from Great Big Story on Vimeo.

Pre-video assignment, Fox

Good example:



Bad example:

Pre-Video Assignment, Markowitz

Poor example - The photos were blurry, the music was bland, the videography was shakey, and the slides with information were boring and lengthy with tiny words.



Good example - The instrumental music creates a meaningful feeling, the video has many different angles and environments to keep the video exciting...the little Kid President is super cute and his voice is clear and interesting...overall the video just makes you smile.

Pre-Video Assignment, Brown

Good video example:

Johanna Under The Ice - NOWNESS from NOWNESS on Vimeo.
Bad video example:

Pre-Video Assignment, Yasharoff

Good example:





Bad example:

Pre-Video Assignment, Marmen

Good example:

Seeking the Hidden Treasure of the Rocky Mountains from Great Big Story on Vimeo.

- Incredible shots, great storytelling, and good writing to video.

Bad example:



- Intro is too long and has terrible audio, bad use of graphics, and shots are clearly filmed by hand (lots of shaky-cam)

Pre-Video Assignment, Chong

A View From The Ground: Thailand Confronts Drug-Resistant Malaria from NPR on Vimeo.